Were the Quakers wrong to try to legally impose their religious beliefs against slavery on others?

Question

For Clark: (it is a pdf) http://www.quaker.org.uk/Shared_ASP_Files/UploadedFiles/6FD8FD06-FAB0-4E0B-88A7-9FA084925DD4_1807Exhbition.pdf

Answer 1

If I saw an adult beating a child, would I be wrong by trying to impose my beliefs by trying to make him stop? Same principle: right vs. wrong.

Answer 2

The bill for the abolition of the slave trade was first introduced by Wilberforce. He was a parliamentarian and a christian. He tried to get his bill through for a good twenty years starting in the 1790's. This was in England of course which at the time was making considerable profits through it. By abolishing the trade Wilberforce was trying to cut the supply off. His thinking was that no man who has made Jesus his Lord would be able to have it on his conscience to make another man his slave.
So leaving God aside of this, if the humanists would have been the driving force in this ( and I know there were some who had an interest in abolition) would you ask the same kind of question? Or should your question be Should any religious believe be able to be legally imposed against any ill of society?

Answer 3

No. Were our law makers wrong to try to legally impose their religious beliefs against sacrifices on others?

Answer 4

if anyone is against slavery ... that cant be wrong surely
I am not quite sure what the Quakers stance on this was.... but doesnt sound like a bad one

Answer 5

But -- but -- but that would mean that just because you believe it, that's not enough to actually make it right.

Hmmm. Interesting concept.

It'll never catch on.

Answer 6

how did they try to legally impose?

Answer 7

What do you think?

Answer 8

youre not being specific....they live in their own farmarea